The Devil's Shot Glass
by KyKy-13
Summary: Upon entering the bar The Devil's Shot Glass, Reno finds himself in a world of trouble when he's suddenly taken hostage by three merciless silver-haired assassins. What can he do to stay alive and keep them from getting their hands on what they want?
1. The Devil's Shot Glass

**DISCLAIMER:** All characters belong to Square Enix and not me. I only own the plotbunnies!

**WARNING: **Contains heavy violence, alcohol use, drug use, sex, and language.

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**C H A P T E R - O N E**

The Devil's Shot Glass.

Seemed like a reasonable name for a bar in this part of town. Dark and unscrupulous and so downright dirty you had to fight the urge to run home and jump in the shower. The smell around here was damn overpowering too. You could practically taste the foul mixture of blood and alcohol and urine that stained the streets. Handfuls of seedy looking characters loomed in the shadows, their hollow eyes watching your every movement with a sort of twisted hunger that would make your stomach churn.

I didn't mind, though. I grew up in places like this. Dank and dirty and unforgiving. Probably why I was so messed up myself. I didn't exactly inherit my love of alcohol, cigarettes, and rough sex from my old man. It was the streets that did it. The streets raised me. They fed me and taught me and punished me just like any normal parent would. Not my dad, though. He had been too caught up in his job to give a damn about the little seven hear old boy tugging on his jacket asking to play cops and robbers.

He was a Turk, and no one came between a Turk and his assignments. Not even his only son. It was a job that required thick skin, street smarts, and a whole lot of balls. He risked his life every single day, assassinating and kidnapping some of the most wanted criminals in all of Midgar. It wasn't exactly the kind of job you brought to Parent Day at school, but I couldn't help but admire my father. He was the only family I had and, to me, he was the only hero I had.

After he was killed, I was left to raise myself. I was only fifteen at the time; barely old enough to drive or even shave. It hurt me pretty bad to no longer have any family to look out for me, but I took it with the best of my abilities. It was an honourable Turk's death, after all. He had been assassinated on the job. My father died doing what he loved.

That was probably why I took on his job after he passed. He was never the affectionate type. Not a hugger or even much of a talker. Nothing I did ever did got me a simple "good job, son", or even the fabled "I love you". It was tough, but I stuck through it without a tear. Weakness wasn't tolerated in my father's eyes. So I convinced myself that being a Turk was the only way to get him to notice me, even after death. I was hired at the age of eighteen and, five years later, I was still going strong. I even made it to Second-in-Command.

Even though he was long dead, I had a feeling he was finally proud of me.

Tonight had been filled with the usual events: chases, gun-fights, interrogations. A typical good time for a Turk, but it had left me exhausted and sore out of my mind. I hadn't gotten very much sleep lately what with my assignments piling up, and Tseng wasn't about to give me a day off anytime soon. I wanted to head home and crawl into bed before my next shift, but there was still one thing I needed to do to help me end the day. I needed a nice hard drink.

The Devil's Shot Glass wasn't my usual spot for a few quick drinks. Most nights I ventured over to Seventh Heaven where Cloud and the rest of the AVALANCHE gang would keep me at the bar for hours to talk. I enjoyed it well-enough, but tonight I wasn't in the mood to socialize. I just wanted to get nice and buzzed, then stagger on home to my bed. Plus, this bar was a hell of a lot closer to my place than Seventh Heaven was. If I wanted to get hammered, I wasn't going to walk clear across the whole damned city to do it.

Shoving my hands deep inside my pockets, I stepped into the bar. The night had been cold and damp, and it was nice to be in a warm place for a while. It was fairly small, too. It probably couldn't house more than fifty people at most. The dim lighting kept the mood as dreary as it had been outside, accompanied by dark walls, strange music, and creaky hardwood floors permanently stained with alcohol and blood. There was even a small stage set up where an exotic dancer could do his work. It didn't faze me, though. Things like this were pretty typical for a bar in this part of Midgar. Just as long as they had booze, I was fine with anything.

I took a seat on one of the stools at the bar; keeping a wary eye on the company I was sharing. There weren't many people in the room, but I couldn't let my guard down for a second. Who knew how many Goddamn druggies and schizophrenics walked these streets.

While the bartender tended to another order, I looked back over my shoulder at the stripper gracing the small stage at the other end of the room. He was a young man, tall, and undeniably attractive with a head of long silver hair and glowing green eyes. His lean body was clad in nothing but tight leather pants, and he swayed and flowed like liquid to the beats pumping from the stereo system, sliding and grinding down the pole as if it were something else entirely. His fair skin glowed with sweat in the dim lighting, and he tossed his hair back with a slight buck of his hips. There was no doubt in my mind that this guy knew he could wrap anyone around his little finger. He oozed sex-appeal and confidence. It didn't affect me, though. Sure, the guy was damn pretty, and could probably make anyone scream in the bedroom, but he wasn't my type. He was far too elegant and delicate for someone like me. I liked 'em rough and raw and passionate. I wondered how a guy like him could get such a degrading job, but I wasn't one to judge considering my own choice of occupation. Whatever puts money in your pocket.

When I heard a glass hit the bar top, I turned back and saw a small shot of whiskey sitting right in front of me. I frowned and looked up at the bartender, who shared the same glowing green eyes as the exotic dancer. He was a big guy. Real big, with a strong chest and arms that made me look like a little girl. He looked as though he could literally knock my head right off my shoulders with a single punch. His hair was silver as well, but short and slicked back. I guessed he may have had some relation to the stripper due to their similarities. It was either that or silver hair was the new fad and I hadn't gotten the memo yet.

"Excuse me, yo." I said, motioning to the drink. I kept my voice calm for fear of getting knocked out by the guy. "But I didn't order this."

He nodded in understanding as he wiped an empty glass with a cloth. "It's courtesy of the gentleman at the end of the bar."

I blinked and looked over at the small figure sitting at the far end of the bar, drink in hand. It was a young man, very young. He couldn't have been older than sixteen, and I wondered how on earth he managed to get into the bar in the first place. He was incredibly attractive though, with shoulder-length silver hair and bright green eyes that peered across the room at me through a delicate curtain of bangs. There was no doubt in my mind that all three of them must have been related in some way. I would have mistaken them for triplets if it wasn't for the obvious age differences. The teen's long fingers swirled around the rim of his glass of booze in boredom, and I couldn't help but smirk. I had no idea why this kid bought me a drink and, frankly, I didn't give a damn. He was gorgeous, and I could see hints of intelligence and mischief glinting in his eyes. Perhaps this night would end on a good note and I would end up fucking him in one of the bathroom stalls. He looked like he would have very pretty screams.

The young man smirked at me, and lifted his own glass in a toast in my direction. I returned the smile and raised the shot in the air before downing it in one gulp. The hot sensation of the alcohol burned my throat as it went down. It tasted kind of funny, but I didn't care. Alcohol was alcohol. I looked over at the teen, who was casually sipping his drink. I watched those full moist lips curl over the rim of the glass with every drink he took, and I shivered at the thought of the mouth somewhere else.

With a sigh, I shook my head and rubbed my tired eyes. I was beginning to think with my hips, rather than my head, and I did my best to dismiss any dirty thoughts I had of the boy. I had no idea who he was. If he spent his night's hanging around bars like this, it would be a stupid idea to try anything with him. He could have been some druggie, or a vicious psychopath. Sure, yeah, he was pretty young, but I had seen worse growing up. Maniacs had to start somewhere, right? What made this kid any different?

When I heard another glass hit the bar top, I turned my attention back and was shocked to find yet another shot sitting in front of me. I looked up at the huge bartender with a raised eyebrow.

"This one from you, now?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Guess again."

With a smirk, I looked back at the teen at the end of the bar. He was busy watching the exotic dancer sway to the music, while absentmindedly fiddling with his glass. Grabbing my shot, I stood up and walked over to the young man before plopping myself on one of the stools next to him. He didn't even look over at me.

"If you're gonna buy me drinks, yo," I smiled at him. "I should at least know your name."

The boy chuckled softly, glowing green eyes meeting mine. I shivered when I saw that his pupils were shaped like cat-slits. They were eerie, but hauntingly beautiful. "Is that so?" He asked me, his voice cool and smooth, but still young.

"Yeah." I rested my elbows on the bar top. "It's not everyday I get offered a drink from a complete stranger. You don't even know me."

He took another sip, watching the dancer. "Don't be so sure about that."

"Oh?" I raised a brow. "Then who am I?"

He looked at me, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Reno Sinclair. Second-in-Command of the Turks."

I blinked. "How'd you know that?"

"Well, your Turk's uniform gave away your occupation as soon as you walked in." He explained, swirling his glass. "As for your name, I know there are only four Turk's in ShinRa thus far. Tseng wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this, Rude doesn't drink, and Elena is female. So, that just leaves you, Reno."

I frowned, my mind racing. "What…how…how do you know all these things?"

"I know much about the ShinRa Electric Power Company." He said simply, taking another drink. "And all who inhabit it."

"But, how?" I scratched my head, frowning. "You know someone who works there?"

"You could say that."

"Who?" I asked, feeling a little more curious by the second.

He finished the remainder of booze from his glass before answering, his voice dark. "Professor Hojo."

I shuddered, knowing that name far too well. The man didn't exactly have the most…sane reputation in the ShinRa Labs. "That creep? He a friend of yours?"

"Not at all."

"Good." I frowned, looking down into my shot. I stared at my reflection in the tiny glass of amber liquid, and then emptied it in one swig. My vision was starting to blur a bit, and I rubbed my eyes. I couldn't have been drunk already, so I guessed it was probably the exhaustion. It was pretty damn late.

"Care for another one?" The boy asked, leaning a bit closer.

I looked over at him, smirking. "If I didn't know better, yo, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk so you could take advantage of me."

He chuckled, brushing back a delicate silver strand from his face. "Is there something wrong with being hospitable once in a while?"

"In a place like this, it's kinda odd, yo." I smiled.

He nodded and crossed a long lithe leg. I drank in his whole body with my eyes, feeling my mouth go dry at the sight of him. He was wearing a pair of tight leather pants complete with knee-high leather boots adorned in vicious silver buckles. A long black trench coat hung down to his ankles, covering a simple white dress shirt that was unbuttoned half-way down his pale toned chest. His long fingers tapped rhythmically on the bar top, adorned in black fingerless gloves. I silently hoped he was planning on taking advantage of me. What I would have given to have that hot body pressed against mine. When my eyes caught sight of a rather large bulge at the front of the boy's pants, I couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps my wishes were coming true.

"Gettin' a little excited there?" I asked, leaning in closer to him so that our faces were practically touching.

He laughed, unfazed, and reached into his pants. My heart started to race in excitement, until he finally pulled out what was really causing the bulge. A gun.

"Whoa now." I sat back. "You know how to use one of those?"

"Fuck yes, I do." He stroked the weapon affectionately. "Same with knives. You'll see that I'm good at handling weaponry. Very good."

"I'll…see?" What did he mean by that? I frowned and ran my fingers back through my surprisingly damp hair. I didn't even notice how much I was sweating. "Is…is it getting hot in here, yo?"

"No." He said, eyeing me rather intently, almost like a cat watching a mouse.

I rubbed my eyes, since they were starting to blur again. Something didn't feel right. My body was covered in sweat, and my vision began to go. I felt incredibly lightheaded as well. I clutched the edge of the bar to keep myself from falling over. It couldn't have been the alcohol, could it? I only had two measly little shots!

"I…I don't feel too well." I muttered, holding my pounding head. "Maybe I should go."

As soon as I rose to my feet, my legs suddenly gave out under me and I collapsed to the floor. I was so weak. My body felt like it weighted a thousand pounds. The room spun around me, and I shut my eyes, but even in the darkness I still felt dizzy.

"H-Help…me…" I looked over my shoulder at the boy, who hadn't even moved from his spot on the stool. "P-Please…"

To my surprise, he simply laughed. A dark, menacing laugh. "Now, why would I want to do that?"

"Because there's something wrong!" I shouted up at him with the best of my abilities. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

As soon as those words escaped my lips, the teen was suddenly on top of me. I could feel his weight on my back, crushing me harder against the cold hardwood floor. I tried to buck him off me, but I was far too weak, and he effortlessly overpowered me. One of his hands grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back painfully. It felt like my neck was going to snap at any moment. I groaned, looking up into glinting green eyes.

"G-Get the fuck off me, you little punk!" I growled.

"Who are you to demand anything of me?" He hissed into my ear. "You ShinRa lapdog!"

Desperate, I looked up at the stripper, who was watching the scene intently from the stage. "Help me! Please! Get him off me!"

The long-haired man chuckled coldly, but didn't move. The bartender hadn't even bothered to help, and I knew he could get this kid off me in a second. Damn it, they were all in it together! Those drinks…those fucking shots did this to me! They must have been drugged. I cursed myself over and over again for becoming so vulnerable to these maniacs. My dad would turn in his grave if he could see me now.

I thrashed beneath the youth, trying to break free. It was no use. My body was too damned weak to do anything! I started to panic. "What the hell are you gonna do? Rape me?"

He forced a laugh. "Ha! Rape you? I think not." He grazed the tip of his gun over my temple, the steel cold against my skin. "No…we have much better plans for you, Reno."

I swallowed hard. "You gonna kill me?"

"No."

"Then what the fuck do you want from me, yo?" I started to feel myself fade into blackness, but I held on. I couldn't pass out. Not with this psycho kid on my back! "I ain't special! I don't have anything you want!"

"You don't, no. But, you do know someone who does." He smiled; a wicked, cruel, insane smile. "And you're gonna help us get it."

"You expect me to fucking rob for you?"

"Of course not." He kept the gun pressed firmly to my head. "That would be stupid."

I groaned as my head and body kept urging me to just close my eyes and give in. "Then…what the h-hell do you want? I don't understand!"

"You'll will, soon enough." He smirked, grazing the tip of his tongue over the silver loop imbedded in my ear. I couldn't help but shiver. "By the way, the name is Kadaj. And until I get what I want, you belong to me."

With that, he took the back of my hair and slammed my head against the hard floor, knocking me out instantly.

What the fuck had I gotten myself into this time?


	2. Assassin's Tango

**C H A P T E R - T W O**

A low groan escaped my lips when I finally came to.

My eyes felt so damn heavy, so it took me a while to get them open. My mind was a jumble of incoherent thoughts and emotions. It was though I was waking from a wild night of drinking, except this feeling was much more uncomfortable that your traditional hangover. Everything hurt. When I finally managed to get my eyes open, everything around me was a hazy blur, and I squinted against a blinding light hitting my face. When I tried to lift my arms to shield my eyes, I was shocked to find that I couldn't. I couldn't move my arms at all.

The cold feeling of steel against my wrists was cause for my first wave of panic. Frowning, I looked back over my shoulder and was stunned to see that both my wrists were handcuffed to a radiator placed beneath a small window. I struggled to free myself with no success as memories of last night flooded back into my mind. Those silver haired men…what had they done to me? Where had they taken me? What did they want with me? That boy…Kadaj was his name; he said I knew someone who had something he wanted. But, what? What could that damn kid want from someone like me?

When my vision finally cleared up, I looked around at my new and very unfamiliar surroundings. I was in a small bedroom, barely illuminated with whatever sunlight could find its way through the small blinded window behind me. It looked more like a shabby motel room than anything else. One fairly large bed sat against the opposite wall beside a small bedside table that housed nothing more than a simple lamp. There were two doors in the room, one leading to what looked like a bathroom, and the other most definitely went outside. A small television sat perched on a small round table in the corner, surrounded by a few chairs, while a ceiling fan hummed above me. The dark and poorly wallpapered walls were covered with layer upon layer of posters of men and women that I had never seen before in my life. Most of the photos were marked with crudely drawn red X's painted right across the faces. I didn't like the look of that in any way. It reminded me too much of a check-list.

The radiator I was cuffed to rattled annoyingly against my spine, and there wasn't very much room for me to shift or change my position. My body ached from sitting on the cold hardwood floor for what could have been hours, or even days. How long was I out for, anyways? I couldn't remember. All I knew was that I needed to get out of here. And fast. I wasn't sure if I was even in Midgar anymore and, frankly, I didn't care. I was a Turk, I had connections. I could find my way home in a flash. I just needed a way to get the hell out of here before those three psychos got back.

With a grunt, I slowly changed positions so I could hitch my weight onto mu knees. It was a fairly difficult task, what with there being a crappy amount of space to work with. My wrists pressed painfully against the tight cuffs as I tried to manoeuvre my way around, and the radiator shook loudly with every move.

Suddenly, a sudden crash jarred my senses, making my heart leap into my throat. I looked down and saw the porcelain fragments of what used to be an ashtray scattered on the floor around me. It must've been sitting on the windowsill, and my movements probably knocked it over. Before I could take a breath, the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed from outside the bedroom door. I froze in my spot, eyes wide. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! The crash must have alerted those silver-haired maniacs. They knew I was awake. What I would have done to be knocked out again. I didn't want to be conscious through what they were planning on doing with me.

When the bedroom door swung open, two familiar silver-haired figures marched into the room. One was the huge bartender that had served me those damned shots. The black leather jacket he wore was adorned in silver chains and made the huge muscles of his arms and chest seem even more impressive. The floor beneath his huge boots creaked with his massive weight. He looked a hell of a lot more intimidating than I had thought last night, which is a lot to say since I had reminded myself over and over again not to mess with him for fear of having my head knocked off. The other figure was the long-haired stripper, dressed in a black ankle-length trench coat and black turtleneck which accentuated his long graceful neck. He carried himself with the same pride and sensuality he bore while on stage. The way he walked ahead of his much larger brother with head held high meant he was the more dominant of the two. The bartender didn't seem to mind it, though. He seemed quite keen with simply being the muscle of the group, meant to just hang back and watch his smaller elegant brother take the lead while Kadaj was not around. It was a pretty sight to see.

The glowing green eyes of both men locked on me instantly, and I swallowed hard with nervousness. Eyes that seemed so captivating before were now hungry and frightening.

"Ah, I see our little guest is finally awake." The long-haired man said, his voice smooth and calm, but pricked with arrogance.

I frowned. "Where's Kadaj?"

"Out to attend to some business." He answered, lips curling into a sly smile. "I would be thankful he isn't here, if I were you. He's a lot less merciful than we are."

"You don't scare me." I hissed, feeling bolder.

I regretted those words when I was met with a swift backhand across the face. I groaned at the sting, glaring up at the long-haired man through my bangs.

"Such boldness will be punished here, Reno." He snarled. "You'll learn your place soon enough."

I sat back against the radiator, knowing I had no chance of escaping right now. "Who are you people?" I asked.

The bartender leaned against the back wall, burly arms folded against his chest. "My name is Loz, and that's my brother Yazoo. I trust you've never heard our names before, but I am sure someone like you is familiar with the type of business we run."

I frowned. "Business?"

Yazoo smirked. "My brothers and I are assassins."

"Assassins?" I blinked. Had I heard them right?

Yazoo walked back and forth across the room, the heels of his boots clicking against the hardwood floor with every step. "Kadaj, Loz and I run a business here at The Devil's Shot Glass. In case you were wondering, you are currently being held in the apartment right above the bar." He smiled, flicking back his long locks. "But the business is far more than just serving drinks and entertaining the customers, you see. We blend that world together with our own special skills. We kill people for a living, Reno, and we are very good at doing it."

I couldn't help but gape, my mind racing. "How?"

"That's very simple." Yazoo continued. "We have an assortment of clients spread throughout Midgar. Gang Lords, criminals, Dons, you name it and they all have our number. After a way of payment is agreed upon, our client will tell us who is it they want killed, and in what particular manner. My brothers and I kill in very different ways, you see, and the client has the power to choose in which way they want the victim to suffer." He sat himself on one of the chairs and crossed a long graceful leg. "Loz will use the façade of a bartender to slowly and brutally poison the victim until they're weak enough to be crushed by a mere touch of his hands. I, myself, use my sensuality to lure the victim into a secluded area, thinking that I will go ahead and spread my legs for them. That is, until I put my gun to his head and paint the walls with his brain matter. As for Kadaj, he loves getting his hands dirty. He prefers hand to hand combat to ensure as much blood as possible. He's very skilled with a knife. He can skin a man alive in a matter of seconds."

I looked away from Yazoo, my stomach churning. I felt sick. I wanted to vomit with every word that escaped that man's mouth. How did I manage to be captured by such vicious, insane killers? What the hell did they want from me? Was I…was I supposed to be an assignment? Did someone hire them to kill me? Oh dear Gaia…

"What…" I swallowed back the bile that was rising into my throat. "…what does this have to do with me?"

"You, Reno, are a very special assignment." Loz smiled.

I looked up at him, my limbs trembling. He said it. He said assignment. I was a dead man. "Special in what way?"

"Patience, my pet. All your questions will be answered in due time." Came a familiar smooth voice from the doorway.

I looked over and watched as Kadaj strode into the room. My eyes widened at the sight of him. The boy was covered from head-to-toe in a thick splattering of crimson red blood. It stained his silver hair, his clothes, his skin. He was practically bathed in it. I felt the bile start to build up again. The way Kadaj swept into the room suggested that he was the ringleader in this whole scenario. He radiated strength and power, even for someone his age. The other two were merely his vicious assistants, ready and willing to obey any command that passed his lips. He was the twisted mind that devised the schemes, the cold hand that made the final blow, the black heart that felt to remorse by it.

Yazoo smiled and rose from his seat. "I see the assignment was a success?"

"But of course." Kadaj smirked, running his fingers through his blood-soaked locks. "None of this blood belongs to me."

I watched as the long-haired assassin strode over to Kadaj's side and leaned in to sensually lick a streak of blood from his cheek. Kadaj purred, green eyes swimming with indescribable lust. He turned those eyes towards me, and I felt my chest tighten. Fuck, I couldn't believe I was still attracted to the kid! He was a psycho killer! I wasn't supposed to picture myself pinning him to a wall and screwing his brains out. I was supposed to imagine seeing him fall to his death by my hand. What the hell was wrong with me?!

Pulling away from his brother, Kadaj walked over and knelt in front of me. We were at eye-level now, and I turned my face away from him. I didn't want to look at him. I couldn't. If I even showed an ounce of weakness in front of him, it would only make me seem that much more vulnerable to his torture.

"Look at me." The boy whispered darkly.

I refused, keeping my eyes locked on a stray cigarette butt that had fallen on the floor. I would not give into him. This…maniac. My breath quickened as Kadaj leaned in closer. I practically felt him breathing on my face. I could smell the thick odour of blood and sweat and cigarette smoke that lingered on the boy and, to my disgust, I found myself liking it.

"Don't make me ask again."

Still, I kept my eyes down. Without warning, a gleaming knife blade came up and pressed against my throat. My eyes widened, my breath quickened, my heart began to pound. Oh shit, what the fuck was I trying to do? Did I forget what this kid was? With a snarl, Kadaj gently dragged the edge of the blade down the side of my neck, not enough to kill me or cause any permanent damage to my arteries, but enough to tear the top layer of my skin right off. I screamed in agony, thrashing in the cuffs. I could feel the sickening warmth of my own blood running down my neck and chest.

I glared at him, panting and writhing in pain. When Kadaj met my eyes, he smiled and pulled the knife away. I watched as he slowly began to run his tongue along the blade, lapping up my blood.

"Good boy." Kadaj stoked my cheek softly. "See what happens when you listen to me, Reno? The pain stops. It's really quite an easy pattern to memorize."

I trembled. "W-What the fuck do you want from me?"

Kadaj stood up and tossed his blade onto a nearby table. As he spoke, he began to remove his gloves, trench coat and shirt, revealing a toned, porcelain-skinned fighters body that I found hard to stop staring at. There was a fair amount of scars on his shoulders, chest and stomach, some angrier looking than others. I noticed some pretty bad bruising on the bend of his elbows as well, accompanied by what looked like needle marks. It seemed like this kid enjoyed his fair share of shooting up. Not too surprising. When the boy turned around, I gazed upon a massive tattoo pained down the right side of his back. It was a brilliant image of a single black angel wing.

Kadaj smirked over his shoulder at me. "Tell me, Reno, are you familiar with Jenova?"

"Jenova?" I frowned at the mention of the dark alien calamity that had crashed upon our planet long ago. "Yeah…but if you're expecting me to give up information about her, I ain't doing it. That's confidential ShinRa business."

The boy shared a chuckle with his brothers. "Oh please. Don't be silly. I know everything there is to know about Jenova. I don't require an ounce of your pathetic memorizations of reports."

"Then what the hell do you want?"

Kadaj walked towards me, hips swaying beneath tight leather pants. "I want her head."

I blinked. "…Huh?"

"Her head." He explained. "I know that your dear friends at ShinRa have her head locked away somewhere in that building. I want it."

"Why?"

Kadaj smiled. "Can't a son be reunited with his dear Mother?"

I had to blink a few times to make sure I was still conscious, since everything he just said seemed too damn impossible to be reality. "What the fuck are you talking about? Are you trying to say Jenova is your Mother?"

"Indeed. My brothers and I were created in the ShinRa Labs many years ago by Professor Hojo. I'm sure you remember me talking about him last night?" When I nodded, he continued. "Much like the process that occurs in your SOLDIER's, we were infused with Jenova's cells to make us what we are today: powerful, relentless, vicious warriors. We were tortured and beaten and experimented on like pathetic animals until we finally managed to escape." He knelt before me again and looked deep into my eyes, his voice low and dark. "We're going to take revenge on those bastards who kept us in the labs for all those years, and we want our Mother's head to give us enough power to do it."

I stared back at him, unsure of whose sanity I should question: his or my own. "And I'm mixed up in this for what reason exactly?"

"Consider it as a matter of quid pro quo." Kadaj smirked. "ShinRa has something I want, being my Mother's head. And I have something they want: you. Until I get what I want, you will be staying here with us. And with each day that passes that I don't have what I want, it's going to get more and more violent."

I swallowed hard, almost afraid to ask. "…How?"

"Simple." Kadaj reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small metal box adorning a few simple switches. He held it close to my face for me to see, a look of admiration in his eyes. "See this here? This is a detonator for a series of bombs my brothers and I have placed around the city. There are explosives set up in various abandoned cars on the streets, inside the Midgar Orphanage, and inside the Midgar Hospital. If your dear President refuses to surrender Jenova, I will set off the explosives one by one and kill hundreds, even thousands, of innocent men, women, and children. After that, if his decision still stands – which I doubt it will - I will blow up this bar with you still inside it before taking out the ShinRa Company once and for all. If it means destroying my Mother's head along with those bastards, then so be it. I'd rather have that than have her in their custody for much longer."

I gasped, more for the death threats of the innocent people rather than myself. "W-What?! No! You can't do this! President ShinRa will never give in to you. This is all just going to be a pointless game and all that will come out of it will be the deaths of innocent people!"

Kadaj leaned in close, his lips feathering against mine. "Well, it's a good thing we have you here to make the situation run a bit more smoothly, hmm?" He pulled out his cell phone and started dialling. "What do you say we give your dear President a call to negotiate the terms? I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear from you again."


	3. Negotiations

**C H A P T E R - T H R E E **

I listened with baited breath as Kadaj's cell phone started to ring. The silver-haired boy flashed me a smirk, the phone pressed casually against his ear as he knelt across from me. As I watched him, I prayed over and over again in my head: _please, Rufus, don't pick up. Don't answer the Goddamn phone._ There was no telling what the President would do when he found out what was happening. I knew Rufus would never surrender Jenova's head to these bastards. He'd rather see me die than even consider doing that. It wasn't personal at all, just business. One Turk's life wasn't worth the fate of the entire planet. I wouldn't hold it against him if it all came to that.

I was willing to die for my job, just as my father did.

Kadaj drummed his fingertips impatiently on the hardwood floor as he waited for someone to answer. Yazoo and Loz watched him silently from their spots on the other side of them room. It took quite a while, and I was hopeful that Rufus wasn't going to answer his phone. But when a grin suddenly crossed the young assassin's lips, my heart sunk. He pressed a button on the cell, which triggered the speaker phone so that everyone in the room could hear the conversation.

"Good morning, Mr. President." Kadaj said sweetly. "And how are we this fine day?"

Rufus's voice coming out of the cell phone sounded slightly confused. "I'm sorry, but…who is this?"

"That doesn't matter." Kadaj answered, rising to his feet. He paced back and forth as he spoke. "I have a proposition for you, sir. You see, you have something of value to me, and I want it back immediately."

Rufus suddenly chuckled. "Whoever you are, I think you've called the wrong person. I'll be hanging up now."

My heart leaped. Yes, Rufus, hang up on him. Don't fall for his tricks.

"Ah, but don't you want to say hi to Reno?" Kadaj smiled, his glowing catlike eyes locking on me. "I presume you've already gotten the news that he's absent from work today."

There was a moment of silence, then, "What are you talking about? Where's Reno?"

Kadaj's grin widened, and he looked almost insane. He probably was. "Why, he's right here with us. Safe and sound. Say hi, Reno." He held the phone close to my face.

I swallowed hard. "H-Hello, Sir."

"Reno, are you alright?" Rufus asked me.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm okay, Sir." I said, knowing Kadaj was watching me very intently.

"Where are you?"

Kadaj pulled the phone away from me before I could even think of answering. "That is not your concern Mr. President. What really matters is my Mother's head. You have it locked away in your facility, and I want it back."

"Your Mother's…head?" The President sounded stunned. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are referring to."

"Jenova, Sir. I'm sure you've heard of her."

Rufus gasped. "How…how do you…?"

"My brothers and I know much about your company." Kadaj stated. "And we want Jenova's head back so that we may be reunited with our Mother and use her power to punish those who have tormented us all those years."

"Are you fucking mad?" Rufus forced a laugh. "What, did you think I would just hand her head over to you? It's an extremely dangerous piece of outer worldly matter. You can't handle such a thing!"

"I thought you might say that." Kadaj nodded, using his free hand to pull a cigarette out of his back pocket. He placed it between his lips and fiddled for his lighter while he spoke. "You see, Sir, I don't think you realize who it is you are dealing with. My brothers and I are extremely dangerous beings and we know how to get exactly what we want. We are not afraid of collateral damage, Mr. President."

"Are you threatening me?" Rufus snarled.

Kadaj blew a smoke ring. "Mnm…of course not, Sir. Why would we hurt you when you are the only one who is able to give us what we want?"

I could hear Rufus breathing very heavily through the phone. No doubt he was extremely angered. "What does Reno have to do with this?" He asked after a moment.

Kadaj chuckled, the cigarette hanging from his lips. "Why, he is our hostage. Until you surrender Jenova's head to us, your little Turk here shall remain our prisoner. And I must warn you, Sir, my brothers and I are not very kind hosts."

As if trying to prove his point, the young silver-haired assassin came up to me and pressed the lit end of his cigarette against my collarbone. I screamed in agony as the hot ash hissed as it burned viciously into my flesh.

"Reno!" Rufus shouted. "No! Stop! What are you doing to him?!"

Kadaj grinned and pulled the cigarette back. "Just proving to you that I'm not fucking around."

I panted hard, my body trembling with agony. Tears stung my eyes. I looked down at the vicious burn in my flesh. It stung like a bitch.

"Now," Kadaj continued, running his fingers through my hair as though trying to console me. I didn't pull away, for fear of being punished. "About my Mother's head?"

"You're a psychopath!" Rufus screeched with rage. "How dare you! Do you have any idea what my men could do to you?"

The young man laughed. "But, of course, Sir. But you aren't going to harm me. Not after you understand what I am capable of."

"And what exactly are you capable of?" Rufus asked, more as a dare that anything else.

Kadaj smiled wickedly, rising to his feet. My heart raced frantically in my chest at what the boy would do next. He opened the blinds on the window behind me, sending a wash of blinding sunlight into the room. I squinted, my eyes burning at the sudden change of lighting.

"Tell me, Mr. President," Kadaj said, looking out the window. "If you would please look out your window. What do you see?"

There was a long moment of silence, and I suspected Rufus was getting out of his desk chair to open the blinds of his office window. Kadaj waited patiently for the President to do what he needed. I watched the deadly teenager as he stared out the window. The sun shimmered over his silver locks and gave his little body a heavenly glow. It was a damn shame to see someone so fucking gorgeous throw his life away for a decapitated alien head.

Rufus's voice returning to the phone snapped me back into reality. "I see nothing out of the ordinary."

"Look closely, Sir." Kadaj said softly. "Tell me what is outside your window."

"People, buildings, and cars." Rufus said. "Why?"

Kadaj leaned on the window ledge and used his free hand to pull the bomb detonator out of his pocket. "Do you see a green car parked somewhere near?"

"Yes." Rufus answered.

Kadaj grinned. "Watch closely."

With that, I watched as the boy pressed on one of the detonator's buttons. A sudden thunderous explosion echoed through the city, shaking the entire building I was in. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I could hear screams of terror from both people outside the window, and from Rufus's side of the phone.

"What the fuck did you just do?!" Rufus screamed.

"My brothers and I have set up a series of bombs exactly like that one in the green car throughout Midgar." Kadaj said, a more authorative tone in his young voice. "Thousands of innocent lives will be lost if we do not get what we want."

"You son of a bitch!" Rufus roared. "You will not get away with this! I will never hand over Jenova's head! I swear to fucking God, I will find you and I will kill you myself!"

Kadaj just chuckled. "Mnm…you can try." His face brightened. "In fact, how about we meet two days from now? This exchange on the phone is far too cliché for my taste, anyways. What do you say to a face-to-face meeting, hmm?"

"Name the time and place." Rufus growled.

"The Devil's Shot Glass. Tuesday at midnight." Kadaj said, exchanging a dark smile with his brothers. "You may bring one escort, but both of you need to come totally unarmed. We will do the same."

"How do I know you're not lying, you little bastard?" Rufus spat.

"You don't." Kadaj smiled. "See you soon."

He clicked off the cell phone and gave me a small smirk. I just stared back, almost wondering if everything I just witnessed was for real. Everything still felt like some horrible nightmare. And no matter how I tried, I just couldn't wake up.

"A face-to-face exchange?" Yazoo purred at the thought of it, combing his fingers through Loz's hair as he spoke to Kadaj. "How very bold of you, brother."

"You need to be bold when dealing with those ShinRa bastards." The young assassin explained. "Don't worry. I have everything planned out."

"You always do." Loz smiled, leaning into Yazoo's tender touch.

Kadaj walked over to my side. He placed his hand under my chin and lifted my head up to look at him. "Looks like you're stuck with us for a little while longer, Reno. Won't that be fun?"

"I'm fucking ecstatic."

* * *

Days passed by slowly in the tiny bedroom.

I was never allowed to leave my spot on the floor, except to go to the bathroom. I ate, drank, and slept beside that damned radiator. I remained cuffed the entire time, so the three brothers each took turns feeding me and giving me water. They always took their sweet time, and if I tried to rush them, I would get a swift slap across the face. Clearly these boys wanted to instil in me that they were in command. I was their pet, their prisoner.

The three assassins were hardly ever all in the room at one time, except for sleep. They all had their own assignments to deal with. Their own vicious little murders in-between running the bar and trying to get their Mother's head back. But I would never be left alone. One of them always stayed behind to babysit me in case I tried anything. What the fuck was I supposed to do while handcuffed to a radiator?! I may be a Turk, but I ain't that good.

I still wasn't sure what Rufus was going to do when they had the meeting, but I knew he was concocting some plan. Just like the one I knew Kadaj already had swimming around in that head of his. I wished for that night to come, but at the same time I feared it. Someone was going to die. I just knew it.

Tonight was a quiet night. Yazoo and Kadaj were both out, and I had to deal with Loz's delightful company. It wasn't too bad. He would talk to me every so often. Asked me if I wanted anything to eat, and sometimes he would ask me if there was anything I wanted to watch on TV with him. He was a lot better than Yazoo, who just plain ignored my existence whenever it was his turn to stay in. He would be too busy preening himself like some stuck up housecat. Hell, I'd be lucky if he even looked at me once through the entire time.

Kadaj was interesting to deal with when we were alone together. He didn't do much except clean his weapons and flip through the local news to see if they mentioned anything regarding his bombings. Every so often he would sit and converse with me about his days in ShinRa and how much he was tortured in the labs by that asshole Hojo. I found that I actually enjoyed talking to the kid. He was very intelligent for his age, and he had so much exuberance in his stories. He would spend hours pacing back and forth throughout the room, his arms flailing about as he went on and on about his childhood. I began to understand why he was so bitter towards ShinRa, but it still didn't provide him with the excuse to go around killing people.

That went too far.

It was pretty late. I was sore, tired, and I could barely even understand the buzzing coming from the show Loz was watching. I leaned against the radiator with a small yawn, feeling every limb in my body protest. This constant sitting position on the hardwood floor was killing my body. I needed to be up. I needed to run and jump and flex my limbs. I needed out of this damned room!

When the bedroom door swung open, I looked up and watched Kadaj enter. He didn't look right. He wasn't the dirty blood-soaked boy that I was so used to seeing walk into the bedroom every night. He must've not had an assignment tonight. But, where did he go? His eyes were glazed over and he practically glided when he walked. A small smirk was plastered on his face. The kid didn't seem all there tonight. He was carrying a brown paper bag in his hand. I had never seen that before.

"You're back early." Loz said, flicking off the television. "What's wrong?"

Kadaj tossed the bag onto the table. It made a light sound. Whatever was in it must have been small. His voice was soft. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just relieving you for the night. Go out, do as you please. I'll stay with the Turk."

Not wanting to question his leader's orders or his unusual behaviour, Loz got up and grabbed his leather jacket and weapons before heading out of the room. I didn't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, except when the teen suddenly decided to lock the bedroom door as soon as Loz left.

My eyes widened in horror. "Uhm…what the hell are you doing?"

Kadaj smiled at me, his eyes glowing. "You'll see."

I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. The way that boy looked at me. The way his hips swayed when he walked with that wicked little grin and that glint in his eyes. Oh no, there was something wrong here.

He went over and looked inside the paper bag before dumping the contents of it onto the table. I blinked at what I saw. Three syringes full of an eerie green liquid that seemed to glow like Kadaj's eyes hit the table. I watched as the boy picked up one of the needles and stared at it hungrily. That's when I understood.

"Are you fucking high?!" I asked.

Kadaj looked at me and laughed. "Mnm…not completely. I've only had one shot of this. You need two to get the full effect of it."

I stared at the strange liquid. "What the hell is it?"

"Angel Tears." The teen explained, examining each syringe carefully. "It's a mixture of heroine, ecstasy, and a street version of Mako. Very deadly if taken at high doses, but incredible if taken at just the right quantity."

My eyes were wide. "You actually take that shit?! Are you fucked in the head?"

"Oh come now, like you haven't tried drugs before." He rolled his eyes.

I frowned, remembering my teen years. "None as bad as that."

"Really?" He smiled and walked towards me. "Well, you are certainly missing out on quite the experience. This drug is wonderful."

"I'll take your word for it, yo." I said, leaning back a bit when Kadaj got close.

The teen grinned and kneeled in front of me. I stared back at him. Stared into those glimmering green pools that seemed to emit their own wonderful glow. He took one hand softly caressed the side of my face. I shuddered at his touch. So gentle and unlike him. I still was incredibly attracted to the boy. He was immaculate in his beauty. I found it hard to resist him as he ran his fingers through my hair like a tender lover.

"Kadaj, what-"

I was cut off when the boy suddenly grabbed my hair in his fist and yanked my face close to his in a hot kiss. My eyes widened and I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips when the boy's slick tongue found its way into my mouth. My limbs went weak at the taste of him. He tasted of smoke and Mako and sickly sweet chocolate. The taste of sin. And, before I knew it, I found myself kissing him back. Hungry, needy. I wanted to devour this boy. I knew I shouldn't have done it. This kid was the enemy. He was a deranged murderous psychopath. But, I couldn't help myself. I was lost to him.

My mind was in such a haze, I didn't even notice the syringe in Kadaj's hand until it was suddenly plunged deep into my neck.


	4. Cross My Heart

**C H A P T ER - F O U R **

I screamed into the kiss and yanked my head back when I finally realized the needle was deep inside my neck. I could feel the liquid drug burning through my veins and I thrashed to break free of Kadaj's grasp, but the teen simply grinned at me and held me down firmly until the syringe was finally emptied.

"You son of a bitch!" I screeched at him. "You crazy son of a bitch!"

Kadaj laughed and leaned in to lap up the tiny trickle of blood that was oozing from the tiny wound in my neck. I couldn't help but shiver at the feel of that hot wet tongue running over my flesh. The Mako in that drug was pumping through my veins, sensitizing every nerve in my body. It wasn't in my imagination. I could distinctively feel every little patch of fabric where it touched my skin. My eyesight moved from a lacklustre version of the tiny bedroom to a bright and enhanced version in a single blink. The very motion of breathing made my lips and tongue tingle in pleasure. The room began to spin around me and I leaned in to lay my head on Kadaj's chest in fear that I may topple over.

"Mnm…incredible, is it not?" I felt Kadaj purr into my ear. "And that's only the first dose. It gets ten times better after the second shot."

"Y-Yeah…" I stayed with my face buried in the boy's chest, inhaling deep his incredible scent and listening to his almost thunderous heartbeat. I wanted so badly to punch him in the throat for injecting me with this poison, but I just couldn't muster up the strength or even the will to hurt him. "…Incredible."

The young assassin chuckled and cupped my chin so that I could look up at him. My eyes locked onto those glowing cat-slits and the Mako in my veins allowed me to see my own reflection in them. I looked like hell from what I could see in those pools of emerald and cerulean.

"You're…you're pretty." I mumbled up at him. "Like…real pretty. More so than most chicks I know."

The silver-haired youth giggled and nipped the tip of my nose. "You're cute. I think I may keep you, Re…Ree-no…Ray-no…Ree-noo…Hmm. I don't like your name."

I laughed, a bit louder than expected. "At least my hair isn't grey like some old person."

"It's not grey!" Kadaj pouted. "It's silver! There's a difference! At least mine isn't dyed."

I frowned. "Dyed?! The hell you mean 'dyed'? This is my natural colour."

"Lies."

"So not, yo."

The teen fiddled with a few strands of my hair, a soft smirk on his lips. He was clearly not all there at the moment, and if I hadn't been floating on some cloud and giggling like a little schoolgirl, I would have used my interrogation skills to get a bit of information out of him. Goddamned drug…

Kadaj tilted his head and smiled at me. "You wanna kiss me, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?" I asked, trying to play it cool.

The assassin giggled and ran his hand up my shirt to caress my chest and stomach. My breath hitched at how my nerves reacted to his touch and a gentle moan escaped my lips. His hand was cool and soft.

"That does." Kadaj purred, grazing his nails over my chest. "I've seen the way you look at me. You want me. Admit it."

"No." I shook my head stubbornly.

The teen grinned and captured my mouth in a fiery lip-splitting kiss. I groaned loudly and returned it in kind, basking in the taste of the young assassin on my tongue. Sure, yeah I wanted him. I wanted him badly. But, I would never admit it. The kid wasn't right in the head. Who the hell knew what he'd do to me if he found out.

Kadaj bit down hard on my lower lip and I hissed at the vicious sting. He continued to kiss me through it all, and I tasted my own blood on his mouth. Kadaj sucked at the wound on my lip, making it sting even more. My eyes watered.

"Mnm…" He pulled back, his lips swollen and stained in my blood. "You taste so good."

I panted, smiling despite my aching lip. "Y-Yeah?"

"Yes." Kadaj teased my ear with his tongue. "You wanna see how I taste?"

I shivered and gave a quick nod. I watched curiously as the vicious little teen pulled his knife from his back pocket and made a small cut on the side of his neck. The kid didn't even wince as his blood began to slowly trickle out of the wound. He must have been pretty used to pain.

"Here." He leaned in towards me. "Have a taste."

I stared at the cut for a few moments, feeling my mouth go dry. What the fuck was I doing? Drinking someone's blood…it was animalistic. Inhumane. What, was I some kind of vampire? I wanted to back away but my eyes stayed locked on that little crimson stream running down cool pale skin. My heart began to race frantically. Those drugs were really getting to me.

I wanted him so bad.

Before I could stop myself, I dove in and closed my mouth hungrily over the cut. My tongue lapped away at the warm bitter tasting blood. Kadaj gave a hot groan of pleasure and clutched the back of my hair, which nearly did it for me then and there. I sucked on the wound, cringing a bit at the taste of Mako on my tongue. My wrists strained painfully against the cuffs as I leaned in further. I wanted my hands free. I wanted to wrap my arms around Kadaj and pin him down and make him scream for me.

But, I couldn't. I was his prisoner. His little pet. He was the one in control here. Not me.

As I continued to work Kadaj's neck with my mouth, I felt the teen's hands slip down the back of my shirt. His dug his nails painfully into my spine and slowly scraped them up my flesh. I hissed as I felt the skin tear beneath his nails and I looked up at Kadaj's beautiful satisfied face. He was such a little sadist. He loved causing me pain, especially when the Mako in my veins made me all the more sensitive to it.

"Tell me you want me." He whispered.

I smirked, and couldn't believe the next words that came out of my mouth. "Make me."

I'm so fucking dead.

Before I knew it, I was roughly shoved back against the radiator by Kadaj and devoured once more by his sweet mouth. His kisses were so fierce and painful and merciless, just like his personality. I loved them. I kissed back with equal ferocity, and my breath hitched when the kid's hand suddenly slipped beneath my pants without warning. I moaned loudly at the feel of his soft cool hands rubbing and stroking me with equal roughness as the kisses. My nerves were so sensitive, I felt as though I may release right then and there. Holy fuck, it felt so good…

The silver-haired teen smirked wickedly at me. "Say it."

"N-No…" I gasped sharply when he squeezed. "Ohh…f-fuck…"

"Hmm…" Kadaj frowned and pulled his hand away from me. I whimpered in protest and watched as the kid quickly stripped himself of all his clothing. My eyes widened at the mere sight of his naked body. Porcelain skin practically sparkled in the moonlight over taut strong muscles. My mouth watered and I leaned in closer to him, even though the cuffs were digging painfully into my wrists. My breathing quickened. I needed to get closer to him. I needed it so bad…

He purred and tilted his head. "You want me?"

No. Shit, Reno, don't say it. Don't give into him. He's a master manipulator. He's dangerous, cruel, and downright evil. Remember what his plan is! Remember all the innocent lives that will be lost because of him! Remember…

"Yes…" I breathed. "Yes, I want you."

Kadaj grinned and stood up to walk back over to the table where he snatched up the other two syringes. I purred and eyed his lean naked physique admiringly. He came up and straddled my lap, pressing against me in all the right places with his cool skin. I groaned shamelessly.

The teen pressed one of the needles against my neck, his eyes glinting darkly. He said nothing at all, but I knew what he was asking me. He wanted me to take the full dose with him. To reach that full and glorious high together as that poison pumped through our veins. I could not resist, no matter how hard I tried. This boy did things to me. To my body, to my mind. I couldn't understand it. I couldn't control it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

As the second injection of Angel Tears stabbed into my neck, I whimpered and tipped my head back to allow him full access. It burned as it flowed into my bloodstream, and I felt queasy. My head swam as though I was suddenly underwater. Every nerve in my body suddenly went haywire, and I shut my eyes tightly. My senses were so powerful now. I could hear the breaths flowing from Kadaj's lips, and the chatter of people walking in the streets outside, and even the sounds of Yazoo and Loz walking around downstairs at the bar. It was unreal. Almost superhuman.

As I opened my eyes, the sight of Kadaj nearly made my heart stop. I could see him so clearly now. Every soft strand of silver hair, every pore in his fair skin, every long dark eyelash surrounding those glowing mirror-like orbs. When he saw how the drug affected me, he smiled and kissed me again. Gently, this time. That surprised me, since Kadaj was far from a gentle person. I didn't mind it, though. He didn't do anything other than softly massage my lips with his in an almost caring way. My sensitive mouth tingled at the contact, making my eyes flutter.

When the boy pulled back, he didn't hesitate to drive the final glowing syringe into his own arm. He gasped softly and tilted his head back with a pleasurable purr as the liquid drug emptied into his body. I could feel him shaking slightly on my lap. Once finished, Kadaj tossed both syringes to the side and wrapped his arms around my neck, the expression on his face reminding me of a kitten that wanted to cause some trouble. I grinned at the thought of what he was planning to do with me. My mind was in too much a fucked-up state for me to really care at that point. There was nothing I could do. No way I could fight back or even say no against anything this little assassin could throw at me.

With a slight lick of his lips, Kadaj reached around my body and unclasped the cuffs from one of my wrists. I groaned when I pulled my one free arm out of its position. It was so sore and numb, I had a feeling it may fall off at any moment. I wanted the other hand free too, but I knew Kadaj didn't trust me enough to do that. We may be high and practically fucking each other, but we were still enemies.

Kadaj took my hand and wrapped it around his waist. "I want to make you mine, Reno." He smiled and nipped my throat. "I want to keep you, forever."

I shuddered and ran my hand over the boy's body. "Mnm…I'd like to see you try."

Okay, seriously, what the fuck was I thinking?

Mental note: drugs and horniness are a bad, bad mix.

My clothes were practically torn right off me in a matter of seconds as Kadaj growled, his eyes flashing lustfully. Teeth sank into pale sensitive flesh, tearing away and lapping up hot crimson vitality; nails scraped and tore; hair was clutched and yanked as our moans echoed through the small dark bedroom. And before I knew it, I was pinned back against the radiator, screaming and moaning in sweet painful ecstasy as Kadaj slammed inside me. Deep, fast, merciless.

Anyone in their right mind probably would have called it rape, but I didn't. Probably because my mind wasn't all there. I wanted this. I wanted him. It had been this way right from the second I locked eyes with him. Of course, I myself would have preferred to top him since he was younger, smaller, and more feminine looking than me. But, Kadaj was in control. He was my master, and I was his pet. Can't say I was really complaining, though. It felt amazing as our moans fused together to a single passionate chorus of pure bliss.

"K-Kadaj…" I groaned, digging my nails into the boy's back. "Oh my God…"

The teen panted hard into my ear as his thrusts became deeper and more insistent. I groaned and threw my head back with a cry as my bare back scraped painfully against the metal radiator. I trembled beneath the boy and my insides heated up as though a furnace had suddenly been turned on inside me. My vision swam beneath the damp red hair that stuck to my face. It hurt like hell, but Dear Gaia did it ever feel good. It was a good kind of pain, like the kind you feel while getting a tattoo. It's a pain you enjoy, you want more of. And I definitely wanted more of this little assassin. I had gone too long without a good hard fuck, and Kadaj was the perfect person to satisfy my craving.

The beautiful teen stared at me though a fringe of damp silver bangs. "You…you belong to me, Reno. After all this nonsense is over and done, I want to have you by my side in the end. You are mine now, and no one else's. Is that clear?" He snatched up his knife from his discarded pants and pressed the blade to my chest. Without hesitation or even slowing down the pace of his hips, Kadaj slowly carved an X on the spot right above my heart. The cut was deep and would very likely leave a vicious scar. "Cross your heart and hope to die. You are mine, forever."

I whimpered and gave a sharp cry at the pain throbbing from the cuts. I could feel my blood pouring from the wounds and my eyes watered at the vicious sting. Kadaj smiled wickedly and lapped the blood up as he continued to fuck me. I groaned, my mind a complete and total haze. I could hardly understand what the hell was happening around me. From the drugs, to the sex, to the wounds…my senses could hardly take much more. I was going to plunge over that sweet edge. I could hardly even understand what Kadaj was saying. I…belonged to him? Did I hear that right?

"Say you are mine." Kadaj hissed into my ear, his nails leaving scrape marks down my chest. "Say it…"

I whimpered as I felt tightness build up in my lower abdomen. I was so close to that edge Kadaj was so good at pushing me over. No...No, I couldn't say it. I shouldn't say it. It would be too much. I would have gone too far.

"Say it, Reno." Kadaj pressed our foreheads together and stared deep into my eyes. Those green cat-slits were so hazy.

"I…I…" I panted and threw my head back with a scream as I finally plunged over the edge and released all the white hot pleasure that built up inside me. My body thrashed and bucked through the wave of orgasm, even as Kadaj joined in my chorus of sweet ecstatic cries when he too finally took the plunge. It was sweet harmonic bliss that all too soon crept away and left us both totally exhausted. I could feel the teen collapse onto my body in a sweaty heap, both of us panting hard. It took a few moments for him and me to fully recover from the pain and the passion. Everything was a blur. Faint traces of the drug still remained, but we were both still pretty high.

Kadaj nuzzled his face into my neck. "Say it."

I panted and traced my fingers over the angel wing tattoo painted on the boy's back. "Mnm…I'm yours…"

The assassin grinned and kissed the painful X carved into my chest, before closing his lips over mine in a soft kiss. He purred and curled up on my lap like a little kitten, and we both quickly passed out in each other's arms.

I'm so fucked.


	5. Love To Hate You

**C H A P T E R - F I V E**

The bright rays or morning sunlight found their way through the blinded windows to hit my face as I slept. As my eyes slowly creaked open, I was instantly blinded by the light and gave a loud groan. My whole body protested as I shifted, limbs aching, muscles screaming. My head felt as though it was the main area for a fucking construction site. Jackhammers pounded into my skull mercilessly.

Damn drugs…

As I started to regain all my senses back, my ears picked up on a strange but not unfamiliar sound. It was the sound of sweet pleasurable moans and the rhythmic creaking of mattress springs. I shook my head, wondering if my mind was just giving me a replay of last night's activities. I still couldn't believe I got high and let that punk…fuck me. What in the name of God was I thinking?! But, for some reason, those weren't Kadaj's moans. They were someone else's.

Blinking away the sleep from my eyes, the room came back into focus and I was met with a rather shocking sight.

There, on the bed that wasn't more than a few feet away from where I sat, were Yazoo and Loz. Fucking like rabbits. My eyes widened, completely shocked that the two young men would actually have the guts to just strip down naked and have wild sex right in front of a complete stranger. A Turk, no less. Then again…they were assassins after all. They had no shame in anything.

I couldn't help but stare at Yazoo's perfect lean body bouncing rhythmically on Loz's lap. Long tangled silver locks were tossed back, beaded sweat trickled down pale skin. Loz's huge hands held his lover's hips in place as he slammed up into him over and over again, enticing long cries from Yazoo's throat.

I looked away and shut my eyes tightly, wanting desperately to cover my ears to block out the noise. I silently wished Kadaj was here. He would have told them to stop. But, I didn't know where he was. The boy was unpredictable. Coming and going as he pleased without a care in the world. I was at least thankful he had the decency to redress me before leaving the apartment. I would have felt even more awkward if I was sitting here naked.

Just then, I heard the bedroom door swing open. Opening my eyes, I was relieved to see Kadaj step into the room, completely sober and looking focused and refreshed. Yazoo and Loz didn't even slow down their activities when the young assassin walked in. And it shocked me even more to see Kadaj look at them as if it was nothing. It's not like they were playing fucking cards!

Kadaj circled the bed like a teasing wildcat and smiled at his two brothers. "Always saving the fun for when I'm out."

Yazoo chuckled breathlessly, tipping his head back to look at his fierce leader. "Y-You had your fun already last night, brother. It's our turn."

The teen grinned seizing Yazoo by the hair and jerking his head back to press a hot kiss to his lips, tongues dancing feverishly. If my eyes got any wider, I think they would have popped right out of my head.

Pulling away, Kadaj gave Yazoo a quick slap across his pale ass and let him continue with his fun. As he turned, the youth flashed me his usual sly little smile. "Enjoying the show?"

I gaped at him. "No. Not really."

Kadaj chuckled, coming over and leaning down to capturing my lips in a deep kiss. His hand wandered over my chest and beneath the thin shirt to caress the still-painful X carved over my heart. "Mnm…come now, my pet. Where is your sense of fun? You didn't seem to misplace it last night."

I winced at the sting, keeping my eyes locked on those glowing cat-slits. In the background, I could still hear Yazoo having a great old time letting his moans echo through the small bedroom. No doubt he just loved hearing himself.

"Last night was…" I frowned, wanting to call it a mistake but wanting to keep my head at the same time. "…different."

"Different?" The teen smirked. "How so?"

I frowned as Yazoo's cries grew louder and more exaggerated, almost as if he purposely wanted to annoy me with them. I eyed the two assassin's before meeting Kadaj's gaze again.

"At least you didn't moan like a slut."

The room suddenly fell to such a deathly silence, I thought I had gone deaf. You could practically hear clear conversations from people on the street outside. My heart nearly stopped when I noticed the expression on Kadaj's face. Something between shock and rage.

Yazoo's naked body slowly turned and he looked straight at me, his eyes filled with pure bloodlust. His voice was a low, venomous whisper. Something I would have expected coming out of Kadaj. "What did you just call me?"

"Take it easy, Brother." Kadaj looked at Yazoo, smiling. "Let me handle it."

I was suddenly met with such a swift backhand, that I thought I felt my brain bounce around the inside of my skull. Before I could recover, I was hit again, and again. Over and over. I was pushed to the ground and punched and smacked with such force, such anger. I screamed and begged for Kadaj to stop, but the blows kept coming. I could feel the sickening wetness of my own blood splatter my face every time his hand came in contact with me. I felt like he was going to kill me.

Just as soon as the violence stopped, it ended. Just like that. I could hear Kadaj panting as I lay there on the floor, a bloody mess. I could barely see him through the hair that matted my face. I wasn't sure if the red in my bangs was natural, or my own blood.

Kadaj wiped away the blood that had splattered against his cheek and leaned in, his voice a vicious whisper. "Just because you're a good fuck, doesn't mean I'm going to let you just say whatever the hell you want. I am still your master!" He grabbed my jaw and twisted my head to make me look at him. "Is that clear?"

I trembled, my eyes stinging with angry, pain-filled tears. "Y-Yes…"

Kadaj roughly released my jaw and stood up. When I looked over, I saw that Yazoo and Loz had already fully dressed, and were watching me silently. I swear, if looks could kill, I probably would have died a slow painful death a thousand times over with the way they were looking at me.

Finally tearing his dark glare off of me, Yazoo turned his attention to Kadaj, who was looking down at a watch in his hand. "What are you doing, brother?"

Kadaj merely glanced at him. "Hm? Oh, I am simply setting the time for midnight. Today is when we are to have that meeting with the President."

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Oh Gaia…no. It was today?

"Do you have anything planned?" Loz asked, wrapping his huge arms around Yazoo from behind and nuzzling his slightly-dishevelled locks.

Kadaj smirked, tossing the watch back on the table. "I always have something planned, Loz. You know that."

I couldn't help but speak up. "You're gonna kill them, aren't you?"

Three pairs of glowing green eyes all looked at me at once.

"What makes you think that?" Kadaj asked nonchalantly.

"You're an assassin with a plan." I frowned at him. "I'm pretty sure that'll involve killing someone."

"Ah, but have you forgotten?" Kadaj smiled with glee. "Those ShinRa bastards have Mother's head. I wouldn't dare kill them." His eyes flashed. "Not until after I get what I want, at least."

I growled, feeling bold and not caring about another beating. "And what makes you so fucking sure they'll give her to you?"

Kadaj simply pulled out the detonator from the pocket of his trench coat and, with a cruel smirk, pressed a button that caused a massive explosion to rattle the window behind me and shake the floor. I winced, wishing I hadn't even asked the kid. It didn't sound big enough to be a building explosion. Probably another car bomb, but still…innocent people were getting hurt.

"That does." Kadaj said sweetly, pocketing the device. "If Mr. President doesn't want any more of his precious city destroyed, he'll do what we ask."

Yazoo chuckled and wrapped his arms around Kadaj from behind, purring like a content cat. "Mmm…you are so clever, little brother."

Kadaj smiled and leaned back against him, his eyes never unlocking from mine. I just stared back without a word. I hated that kid. I hated him with the fiery inferno of a thousand suns. If I could, I would have gotten up and strangled the little bastard.

But, violence would get me nowhere. He was an assassin. He would fight back and probably win, given that I haven't really moved or eaten in days.

So I wouldn't use violence. I was a Turk. I knew how to get what I wanted without using bloodshed. I could manipulate. I could scheme and con. The kid had a thing for me, no doubt about it. And maybe, just maybe, I could use that against him. It was a long shot, but it was all I had.

Pulling away from his brother, Kadaj approached me with that signature swagger in his hips and knelt in front of me. He used his hand to wipe the blood from my face that still lingered from the beating. It shocked me how easily this kid could go from vicious one minute to gentle the next. It was fucking scary, to be serious. It meant Kadaj had unpredictable mood swings. He could snap at any moment. I had to watch what I did around him.

I leaned into the boy's gentle touch and nuzzled his hand with my mouth. Kadaj blinked, seemingly taken aback by my sudden show of affection. His eyes searched mine, almost as if wondering what I was up to. It took everything I had to not look away. I had to be calm. Cool. Unreadable.

Not removing his gaze from mine, Kadaj reached around me and unlocked the cuffs from the radiator. I held my breath, wondering what the kid was planning. He never did this. Without a word, I watched as Kadaj freed one of my wrists from the metal cuffs and brought both my arms around to my front before locking them both together again. I groaned a bit, my shoulders screaming at the sudden shift of position. I rubbed my tired eyes, relieved to finally be able to use my hands again.

"Come." Kadaj said, grabbing my forearms. "Up."

I frowned, but did as I was ordered. Slowly, I rose to my feet, using Kadaj as a crutch since my legs were far from stable. My legs wobbled under me like I was a newborn Chocobo.

"What are you doing with the Turk, Brother?" Loz asked.

Kadaj looked me up and down, shaking his head. "Look at him. He simply cannot show his face to his dear President looking like this. He's going into the shower."

Yazoo looked me over and seemed to agree. "What would you like us to do with his clothes?"

"Clean them." Kadaj ordered. "I need them ready for midnight."

Loz and Yazoo both nodded and watched as their leader hauled me into the bathroom and shut the door. I squinted when Kadaj flipped on the light switch and the fluorescent lighting flickered on above me.

Without a word, the young assassin took hold of my filthy clothes and started to undress me. First he removed my pants, socks, and shoes, and then he unlocked my cuffs for a brief minute while he slipped my shirt and jacket off. I shivered when I was fully exposed in the chilly apartment bathroom. While Kadaj handed my uniform to his brothers outside the door, I stared at my reflection in the cracked mirror on the wall.

Fuck, I looked like hell.

My red hair hung limp around my face, and was matted with oil and sweat and dark dried blood. My face was tired and pale, with dark circles under my eyes and dirt and blood splatter coating my cheeks. My body was covered in an array of bruises and scratches and scars of every shape and size, and it seemed as though I had lost a few pounds. You could practically see my ribs through my skin. I looked like I just had my ass brutally handed to me. I didn't look like myself, and it killed me.

After locking us both in the bathroom, Kadaj turned on the shower and waited for the water to get nice and hot. While I waited, I was surprised to see the young assassin start to shed his own clothes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He looked up at me through a curtain of silver bangs as he slipped his pants and shirt off and tossed them aside. "I'm going into the shower with you. I can't trust you in here alone, and I am not taking your cuffs off. The only way you can get cleaned is if I clean you myself."

"You can trust me." I said in the softest, most sincere voice I could manage.

Kadaj didn't fall for it. "I can't trust anyone."

That was probably the most honest thing that I have ever heard come out of that kid's mouth.

As I stood there and watched Kadaj undress, it occurred to me that this kid must have been pretty alone. Sure, he had his brothers, but he couldn't really trust them completely either. They too, were powerful killers, but what was stopping them from getting rid of their leader so that they may do as they please at all times?

Assassin's didn't have friends. They couldn't. Anyone was capable of blowing your cover to the authorities. Assassin's didn't have family. And if they did, they were forbidden from contacting them so that they would remain safe.

Assassin's didn't have anyone.

And for the first time since I had laid eyes on the little silver-haired bastard, I actually felt sorry for him.

When the water was finally hot enough, Kadaj opened the shower door and led me inside with him. I gasped sharply when the hot spray of water hit my body, but I didn't move away. It felt so fucking good. I could feel my muscles relax as the water poured over my shoulders and trickled down my back and chest and legs. The few partially-healed wounds I had here and there, especially the X carved into my chest, stung like a bitch when they got wet. I didn't complain though. I sure as hell wasn't moving my ass away from the soothing water anytime soon.

When Kadaj placed a hand to my chest, I jumped a bit. I had almost forgotten the kid was even there. Opening my eyes, I looked down at the soaking wet assassin standing before me, his hands running over my body as he tried to wash the dirt and dried blood off my skin.

So fucking beautiful. Why the fuck was he living such a life?

Hesitating a bit at first, I slowly leaned in and nuzzled the top of his head. Kadaj didn't say anything, or jump, or hit me. He just looked at me. For a long time, actually. It kinda scared me. I didn't like it when he was quiet. Kadaj not talking meant Kadaj was thinking. And that was an even more dangerous situation.

When he finally did speak, his voice was soft. "Why?"

"Why what?" I asked, just as softly.

Kadaj's expression grew a fraction more frustrated than it had been before. "Why are you doing this? Being nice to me after the shit I put you through? I kidnapped you, I held you prisoner, I've beaten you on several occasions, and you are still nice to me?!" His eyes flashed. "What the fuck?!"

I winced a bit at his sharp tone. "I just thought…maybe…"

Fuck. C'mon, Reno. C'mon! Use your Turk skills. Don't stop now. Don't be scared of what he'll do. Go with the plan. Manipulate the little punk and make him trust you. Make him feel cared about in a world that doesn't give two shits about him. He'll fall for it…I mean, look at him. He's just a kid, for Gods sake! Kids need affection. They need attention and someone to be there, even if they don't ask for it.

Kadaj needs this. Grow some balls and do it. Do it for ShinRa. Do it for all those people who may lose their lives if you never tried.

Do it for dad.

"…I thought maybe you needed it." I told him.

Kadaj's silver brow cocked just a little. "Needed what? Your sympathy? Fuck off."

Ouch.

"I wasn't talking about sympathy." I explained as he started to run his shampoo-slicked fingers through my long hair. "I was just talking about…a friend."

"You aren't my friend."

"What makes you think that, yo?"

He snorted, and scrubbed a few blood-caked strands. "You're a Turk. Turk's don't have friends. They kill them. Just like Assassin's."

My brow creased in a deep frown. "And you think I want to kill you?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me that if I take these cuffs off right now you won't try and kill me."

I did that. I looked the kid dead in the eye. Those cat-slits stared right back at me, but I kept my cool. "I won't kill you."

"Prove it." Kadaj said and, before I knew it, the cuffs were off and tossed out of the shower. I was free to kill him.

I had to admit, the kid had some fucking balls.

"C'mon, Turk. Do it." Kadaj challenged coolly. "Attack me. Kill me."

Reaching out, my hands didn't go for Kadaj's throat. They went for his shoulders. Grabbing the boy, I gently pulled his soaking wet body against mine and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Kadaj froze as though time had stood still.

When I pulled back, I looked down at his stunned face and brushed his cheek with my thumb. "I'm not going to kill you. I want to show you that there is more to life than shoving a knife into anything that moves."

Kadaj blinked, his eyes wide, voice choking out a breathless response. "What?"

"You don't need to do this." I whispered. "This…nonsense with the bombs and the assassinations. It's fucking useless. I know Rufus, and I know that he'd rather lose a few good men for the benefit of his city than hand over something as powerful as Jenova's head to you. You're not going to win, Kadaj."

Kadaj's expression darkened. "That's what you think. I've been planning this for years. I will get my Mother's head."

"And then what?" I growled. "After you murder hundreds of innocent people for your revenge, what's left? You gonna run from town to town with your brothers as you're hunted like dogs for the rest of your life? Hmm?"

Kadaj opened his mouth, but no words came out in the beginning. "Well…we were…"

I grasped his shoulders tight. "Kadaj. Listen to me. It's not worth it."

"Maybe not for you." Kadaj voice choked a bit, almost as though he was going to…Dear Gaia…cry. "But for my brothers and I, it's all we have."

"That's my point." I brushed a few wet strands away from his eyes. "I want you to know that there is more for you out there. A future."

The boy snorted, crossing his arms and looking away. "You fucking liar. There is no future for an assassin. We can't stop running. We can't stop killing, or we'd be the ones hunted. My brothers and I will be arrested by your those ShinRa dogs and tortured and caged like animals as punishment for our crimes."

I had to admit, the kid was smarter than I thought.

"But, I can help." I turned his face towards mine. "If you let me go unscathed, I can convince Rufus to give you some leeway. Sure, you'd be locked up for a while, but good behaviour will most likely get you out early, and I can put in a good word with some pretty powerful people."

Kadaj's eyes brightened. "Really?"

My heart nearly came out of my throat. Holy fuck, it was working?!

"Yes." I smiled, trying to keep calm. "I promise, Kadaj, if you just end this, I can make everything easier for you. Just please…stop this craziness and let me go."

In a split second, I found myself pushed against the cold tile wall and devoured by Kadaj's mouth in a deep passionate kiss. My entire body suddenly warmed up and I groaned with need, sliding my hot tongue against his. My hands came up and roamed over the boy's wet body, tracing along every raised scar and taut muscle I could find.

I couldn't believe I had done it. Fuck, dad would have been proud.

When Kadaj gently pulled away from the kiss, he smiled at me and pressed his lips to my ear, whispering softly.

"Nice try."

My heart stopped.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

"You think I would actually trust anything that came out of your mouth, Reno?" Kadaj asked, running his fingers up and down my chest like a playful lover. "Damn, either you're an idiot, or I fucked you so hard last night that I knocked your brain around."

My jaw dropped. "You…"

"I know manipulation when I hear it. I manipulate people all the time." Kadaj smirked, and kissed me again. Our lips brushed together as he spoke. "We're going through with our plan whether you like it or not."

All I could do was glare down at the boy, even though my body was very eagerly responding to his roaming hands. I had to fight back the urge to moan when he stroked me gently. Fists clenched, I tore my gaze off the youth and growled.

"I hate you, Kadaj."

"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way."


	6. A Pleasant Ten Second Meeting

**C H A P T E R - S I X **

Midnight came far too quickly for my liking.

I had watched the clock for hours, hoping, praying, for some God forsaken miracle that would make time suddenly freeze. But, even someone like me knew that was pretty much impossible. Time waits for no one.

About an hour after my shower with Kadaj, my uniform came back from being cleaned. I gotta say, I have never had a greater appreciation for clean clothes as I did right then. The fabric was soft and warm and smelled like vanilla. I felt like I was in fucking paradise, even as I was cuffed and dragged back to the radiator to wait and watch as Kadaj and his brothers prepared for the upcoming meeting with Rufus.

There wasn't much talking involved between them, like they already knew exactly what they needed to do. They spent the day polishing and loading their weapons, glancing up at the blaring television screen once in a while as they muttered amongst themselves. They hardly really even ate anything when dinner came. I was the one who did most of the eating for once. They seemed too focused to do anything.

That's what freaked me out the most. I hated not knowing things.

When the clock chimed twelve, I was immediately hauled back onto my feet by Loz's strong hands. My legs didn't hesitate to wobble as though they were made of jelly, making Loz hold me firmly in place as Kadaj came up to me and smirked darkly, his eyes glowing beneath a fringe of silver hair.

"You all ready to go, my pet?" He purred, wrapping his arms around my waist. "This is the moment of truth."

I glared down at him, wanting to stab myself when a pleasant shiver ran through my body at the boy's touch. I growled through clenched teeth. "So, what the fuck are you planning to do?"

"Oh, you'll see." The young assassin winked, leaning up to close his mouth over mine in a hot kiss.

I growled into the boy's mouth, wanting to jerk my head away, but knowing I would probably get my ass kicked for it if I did. So, I stayed put, letting the young assassin's lips roam over mine, tongue teasing wickedly. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, but Goddamn it, I hated this kid.

Drawing my lower lip back in his teeth, Kadaj pulled away from the kiss and grinned. "Mnm…now, you had better be on your best behaviour. You know what will happen if anything goes wrong tonight." His long fingers slid over the bump in the pocket of his trench coat. The detonator.

My eyes narrowed darkly and I growled, Turk instincts not appreciating being threatened. I looked away and didn't answer the kid. Bad move, since Loz's iron grip on my arms tightened to the point where I could feel them about to snap like twigs. I winced with a sharp whimper.

Kadaj's voice was a low venomous snarl in my ear. "Care to act bold again, Turk?"

I hissed and shook my head, hating him. Hating myself for being so damn weak. God, my dad would have disowned me right then and there if he could see this now.

"Good boy." Kadaj smirked, turning on his heel and heading for the door. "Come along, now."

Without words, I was roughly led out of the tiny apartment and down the dark, narrow stairs to the bar below. My legs wobbled every time I took a step, but I was at least thankful I had Loz hand's on my arms to keep me from toppling over. It had been, God, too long since I had last been out of that damned little apartment. Even though we were only headed downstairs, it felt like walking into a totally different world.

The Devil's Shot Glass was empty tonight. The three brothers had probably shut the place down early for their meeting with Rufus tonight. They wanted no disturbances. No distractions. No witnesses.

I spotted Yazoo at the front door of the bar, leaning against the frame as he stared off into the quiet night. He was probably keeping watch for when Rufus arrived. I didn't see any weapons on him, but still that brought me no sense of comfort. A slight breeze rushed in through the open door and I took a deep inhale, savouring the scent of the night that I had nearly forgotten.

Fuck, I hated being cooped up.

With Loz to guide my every action, I followed Kadaj to the far-side of the room to a dark secluded booth. The Assassin Leader stood aside and watched with a wicked smirk as I took a seat, body melting against the soft upholstery of the cushioned bench. Loz stayed standing, almost like that looming bodyguard that made everyone feel uncomfortable.

Kadaj slid into the booth next to me and grinned. His eyes gave off a haunting green glow, and his pupils narrowed into thin slits. I felt chills run all the way up my spine.

"Now…" The boy purred, sliding his fingers up and down my thigh. "I want you to keep quiet during this meeting. I know you will try and pull some secret communication bullshit with your boss, but it's not going to work." He snatched my collar in his fist and yanked my face close, snarling. "If you so much as try to betray me, I will blow this place up so fast, it'll make your fucking head spin. Got it?!"

I swallowed hard, staring back into those insane green eyes. "But…if you blow this place up, you'll die along with us."

"Assassin's are not scared of death, Reno." Kadaj hissed. "I'll gladly end my own life before I see those ShinRa bastards win. Remember that."

"Kadaj?" Yazoo's voice called out from across the room, snapping our attention off each other. "They're here."

My heart stopped dead in my chest when I saw the two familiar figures enter the dark bar behind Yazoo.

Rufus's soft blonde hair and crisp white suit looked so out of place amongst the drab dirtiness of this environment. He looked like a frail white flower barely surviving as it grows from within a crack in the concrete of a dark alley. So vulnerable. But his eyes spoke differently. They always did. Those deep blue depths practically screamed anger and determination. The eyes of a leader.

When he noticed me sitting in the booth, I could have sworn he was just about to leap over the table and grab me. I almost wanted him, too.

Tseng followed close to the President, his face stone cold with professionalism, like always. He kept a wary eye on the silver-haired assassin's looming over him and Rufus like a hawk.

Kadaj didn't rise from his seat when Rufus and Tseng reached the booth. He simply grinned his crazy grin and motioned towards the chairs across from us. "Please, Mr. President. Have a seat."

Rufus cast me a worried glance, and then did as the young assassin requested. Tseng sat next to him, while Loz and Yazoo stood directly behind them, looming like a couple of malevolent shadows.

"Can I get you a drink?" Kadaj asked with a smile, motioning towards the bar with a sweep of his arm. "We have anything you desire."

Rufus shook his head. "No. No I'm…" He narrowed his eyes as he studied Kadaj. "You're the one who called me? You are merely a child!"

Kadaj chuckled. "Age makes no difference, Sir. I can be as dangerous as a man twice my age, if not more."

The blonde President growled. "I want no trouble. All I want is my Turk back, and for you to cease blowing up my city."

"I'm afraid that is something out of my power, Sir." The boy grinned wickedly. "It's all up to you, and whether or not you want to hand Mother over to us."

I listened to their conversation in agonizing silence. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying something. That's quite a task for me. Everyone always said I had the biggest yap in ShinRa.

"Again with the Mother nonsense!" Rufus snorted. "I've told you before, kid, you're not laying a hand on her. She is ShinRa property and far too dangerous to be anywhere near someone as mad as you."

Kadaj snarled and stood up, his glowing green eyes flashing dangerously. "Mother is not your property, you bastard!"

And, in the quickest of moments, everything turned to complete fucking chaos.

Rufus shot to his feet and immediately pulled out a gun from the inside pocket of his white jacket. He aimed it at Kadaj, but the other two assassin's were quicker. Loz threw himself on the blonde President, his massive weight instantly sending both him and Rufus tumbling to the floor. Glasses from the bar rattled and fell to be shattered around their wresting bodies. Yazoo spun around swiftly, throwing a chair aside and whipping out his pistol. He used the barrel of the gun to deflect the bullets being fired by Tseng.

My eyes widened in complete shock. It was as though I was watching a movie in slow motion. Nothing seemed real.

Well, that was certainly a pleasant ten second meeting.

Seeing everyone distracted, I decided that maybe this was my best opportunity to slip away. But before I could move, Kadaj's arm slipped around my waist and he yanked me back hard against his body. I felt the cold touch of a steel blade against my throat and I knew there was no way in hell I was escaping.

Fuck.

The boy snarled into my ear. "You're not going anywhere."

Just then, a gunshot went off and there was a loud cry from across the room. Both of us spun around to look.

The cry came from Yazoo. But, he was standing on the other side of the room. Just fine. Completely unharmed. His eyes were wide as dinner plates and his face looked about ten shades paler than usual. Even Tseng froze in place. I followed his gaze and instantly felt my stomach twist in a knot.

There, laying sprawled on the floor of the bar, a bullet hole blown into his head, was Loz.

Rufus had killed him.

Oh shit…This wasn't going to end well.

The roar that came from Kadaj was enough to nearly shatter the rest of the glasses and even the windows. He held the knife even closer to my throat and I could feel the razor sharp blade slowly slicing into my skin. I hissed, but couldn't break free. My eyes locked onto Rufus, who was scrambling back onto his feet with the smoking gun still grasped in his hand.

"Enough!" Kadaj screamed, whipping the detonator from his pocket and holding it up. "Get the fuck out or I will blow this whole fucking place to pieces!"

Rufus and Tseng didn't seem convinced. They both raised their guns once more. My eyes widened.

Kadaj doesn't bluff.

"N-No! Wait! Stop!" I shouted, holding my hands out towards them. "Sir, you need to listen to him! Get out!"

Rufus paused and stared at me. "Reno, stop talking nons-"

"Out!" I screamed, cutting him off. "Get the fuck out now, Sir! If this place is getting blown to pieces, I ain't having you go with it! Leave!"

Both of them looked at me as though I was insane. Fuck, I probably was.

But, to my immediate relief, both Rufus and Tseng holstered their guns and sprinted out of the bar and out of sight. I took a deep breath and relaxed. I was still Kadaj's prisoner, but at least Rufus was safe.

"Smart move." The young assassin growled, lowering the detonator. He removed the knife from my throat, but slid his grip back around my waist to keep me from going anywhere.

Both of us watched silently as Yazoo collapsed on the floor by Loz's body and drew him up against his chest. He held his Brother tightly as tears poured down his beautiful face.

"Loz…Loz, no. Please, Brother, please!" The long-haired assassin wept bitterly, his mutters turning to sorrowful wails. "You can't leave me! You can't! I won't let you!"

I swallowed hard at the scene. Damn, I actually felt a bit sorry for them. But, as I glanced over at Kadaj, the pity instantly dissipated into worry. The boy was completely stoic, even as he watched Yazoo screaming over their brother's corpse. His eyes were hard. His breathing calm. His feature's still. His gaze locked on the two figures on the floor.

He wasn't only thinking.

He was pissed.

Shit…


	7. And Then There Was One

**C H A P T E R - S E V E N**

"Son of a bitch!" Yazoo screeched as he snatched me by the hair and threw me with all his might onto the bed.

I landed smack on my face, and one would assume that the mattress would have cushioned the impact. But, no. Course not. With all my luck, the fucking thing was thin and shredded in some places which allowed a few of the metal springs to pop through and scrape my nose. I hissed and struggled to sit up, but it was kinda hard what with my hands being cuffed.

"Yazoo." Kadaj's tone was unusually stoic. "Calm yourself, brother."

But, the long-haired assassin had snapped. Literally fucking snapped. His eyes were wide and wild with rage, and his cheeks were stained from the tears he had cried for his fallen brother. He roared and backhanded me swiftly across the face, sending me nearly tumbling off the bed.

"Yazoo!" Kadaj sounded more like himself that time. That strong authorative roar emanating from the body of a young boy. "Do not lay a hand on him!"

"But, it's his fault!" Yazoo screamed. "He's the reason Loz is dead! We should have fucking killed him instead of keeping him locked up in here." Cold reptilian eyes locked on me. "I'll fucking kill him!"

When Yazoo lunged at me, I shielded my face, half expecting to be torn to pieces by the beautiful assassin. When nothing happened after a few seconds, I looked up just in time to see Kadaj snatch his brother by the throat and pin him roughly to the wall. One hand had unsheathed his blade, but he held it at his side instead of waving it in Yazoo's face.

"K-Kadaj…" Yazoo breathed erratically.

Kadaj's voice remained calm, yet strong. "Calm. Down. You and I both know none of this was Reno's fault. It was expected that there would be some casualties when we planned this meeting with ShinRa." He frowned. "Loz gave his life for a cause. And it will not be in vein."

Yazoo snorted. "Reno." His eyes glowed venomously. "Calling the Turk by his name now? Why? You like your little sex toy more than your own family now? More than your own comrades and flesh and blood? Just keeping him here for another good fuck, huh Kadaj?"

My eyes widened.

Hell, even I knew never to talk to Kadaj that way.

The boy snarled and brought the knife up in one lightning fast motion to slice his older brother across the cheek. Yazoo cried out and clutched the cut as blood seeped through the spaces between his fingers.

"Don't you dare speak to me in that manner, Yazoo. I may be your brother, but I am still your leader. You have neither the authority nor the right to use that tone with me." Kadaj spat. "Is that understood?"

The long-haired assassin's cold and insane façade suddenly melted away to nothing and he slumped against the smaller man, sobbing bitterly into his shoulder. Kadaj said nothing to this. But, he did drop his knife to the floor and wrap his arms tightly around his brother. I watched, silent from my spot on the bed.

"Loz…" Yazoo wept. "Loz is gone, Kadaj. He's gone."

"I know." Kadaj spoke softly as he pulled Yazoo away from the wall. "I know, brother. It'll be okay. He's watching over us now. He'd want us to complete our mission."

Yazoo sniffed and nodded, straightening and gathering his composure. I could see the slash in his cheek clearly now. It wasn't that deep, but it would probably leave a permanent mark across that once flawless face.

"Now," Kadaj said, giving me a sidelong glance. "We need to find a way to strike back at ShinRa for what they did to us."

"How?" Yazoo wiped his wet eyes with the sleeve of his trench coat.

That frightening darkness had returned to Kadaj's luminescent eyes, and I swallowed hard. Reaching into the pocket of his trench, he pulled out the detonator. "We blow those fuckers away."

Both my and Yazoo's eyes went wide.

"Brother, we can't!" The older assassin protested. "What about Mother?"

"Like I said before, Yazoo, I'd rather have Mother be destroyed in an explosion I caused myself, than lose her to those bastards. Now, I say we give the President one last call before-"

But the boys next words were suddenly cut off by the blast of a gun shot, followed by the shatter of glass. I nearly jumped ten feet into the air, and I watched in horror as Yazoo fell like a stone to the floor, the back of his head oozing blood from where the bullet had went in.

"Fuck!" Kadaj screamed and leapt onto the bed, wrapping his arm around my throat and pulling me back against him. He was shaking, even as he whipped out his pistol and pointed it at the now shattered window. "Motherfuckers... Motherfuckers have a sniper pointed at this place!" His grip on my throat tightened, though I wasn't sure if it was intended. The kid was terrified.

"K-Kadaj." I choked for air. "Lemmie go."

"Shut the fuck up!" The boy roared into my ear, though his eyes were swimming with fear. "Shut up and let me fucking think!"

I swallowed hard and did as I was told, my eyes locked on the broken window. I stared at it, as if waiting to see Rude, or Tseng come storming in with guns blazing. But, we were on the second floor. It was highly unlikely. The sniper must have made the shot from a building across the street.

So, instead, I looked at the door.

We sat there on the bed together for what seemed like hours. The pale moonlight shining in through the shattered window was the only light that filled the room. Kadaj's shaky breathing was the loudest thing I could hear, save for the occasional passing car from the street below. I glanced at the kid and couldn't believe what I saw.

"Kadaj…" I breathed. "You're crying."

The boy scowled and turned his head away, as if ashamed to be seen displaying suck weakness. He sniffed and wiped the streams of moisture from his flawless cheeks. Though I despised the little psycho, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him at that moment. Both his brothers had been killed right before his eyes, and now he was being hunted like a dog.

He wasn't an assassin anymore. Not in my eyes. He was just some poor kid with no home and no family.

Without a word, I leaned closer and nuzzled the side of his neck. "Kadaj, talk to me."

"Fuck off."

Well, at least his charm was still in tact.

But, I was stubborn. Shifting my position as best as I could, I began to place soft kisses all over the boy's neck, working my way up to his cheek and across to his lips. Kadaj didn't protest this action, nor did he turn away. Instead, he allowed it, and even managed to return a few of the kisses. His grip on my neck loosened and, as the kisses grew deeper, the tears appeared once more.

"Kadaj…" I pulled away and brushed them away with my lips. "Okay, you need to talk to me. Right now."

The boy said nothing for a long time. His eyes shifted from looking at me, to the window, to Yazoo's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood on the bedroom floor.

"I… I just…" He swallowed, but seemed unable to speak yet.

So, I kissed him again, and gently pushed him back onto the bed. I lay over him now, my body settled comfortably between his legs. I didn't intend to fuck the kid, but I wanted to be close to him for a little bit, especially if the place was going to be stormed with Turks at any second. I wanted to give the kid a few moments of affection before his head was blown away.

I don't know why, but I did.

"You just what?" I whispered, looking down into his eyes.

The youth looked up at me and spoke with such softness, such innocence, I could have sworn he was a different person. "…wanted a family."

Well, shit. If that didn't break my fucking heart, I don't know what did.

Damn it.

I was just about to speak up, what the boy suddenly kissed me again, hard and rough and passionate. His hips arced up off the bed to grind against me. I sound of pleasure escaped my lips, soon followed by one of confusion as the boy reached behind me and unclasped the handcuffs.

"What…?" I blinked.

Kadaj tossed the cuffs aside and placed his hands on my chest, pushing me away. He didn't meet my eyes as he uttered one single word:

"Go."

I stared at him and didn't move, thinking it a trick. "Go where?"

"Away." The boy still didn't meet my eyes. "You're free. Get the fuck out of here. Now."

I couldn't believe it.

Maybe I shouldn't believe it.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, raising a suspicious brow.

Sitting up, Kadaj pulled the detonator from the pocket of his trench and cradled it in his hands. My eyes widened in horror.

"You're gonna blow up ShinRa?!"

"No."

"Then what?" I growled, rubbing my aching arms.

Finally, the young assassin met my eyes. There was such sadness in his. Such exhaustion. It made him look older than he actually was. "This place is rigged with bombs, too. And I'm going to blow us both away if you don't get your ass out that door and to safety."

I stared at him. "…What about you?"

"I'm staying."

I was surprised to not like that idea one bit. "What? No, you can't. Kadaj, there's gotta be a better idea than that." I bit my lip. "You can come with me. We'll do everything we talked about in the shower. I could put in a good word for ya, and maybe Rufus will cut you some slack."

"No." Kadaj shook is head.

"Kadaj! God fucking damn it, I ain't letting you blow yourself up!"

The boy looked at me with narrowed eyes. "And why is that?"

"Cause you're just a fucked up kid." That was an honest enough answer in my opinion. "You grew up around violence and anger and you hardly had much of a family to love you and watch your back and it screwed you up a bit."

Funny. Sounded a lot like me.

The assassin snorted. "My only family is dead and I have nothing left to live for."

"That's not true." I took Kadaj's free hand in mine, but he yanked it away.

"Just go."

"But-"

Kadaj snarled viciously. "You wanna die too, Turk?! Get the fuck out of here, now!"

I gave the boy one last look before scrambling off the bed and running out of the room as fast as my feet could carry me. I wasn't sure if I could trust the kid's words, but hell, I wasn't gonna risk missing an opportunity to get my ass out of there. My legs were still incredibly weak and shaky, so I stumbled half way down the stairs and nearly went crashing into the bar when I reached the main floor. I panted hard and I bolted for the front door, just as the place suddenly blew up behind me.

The sheer force of the explosion sent me flying across the street in a painful heap. My head hit hard against the pavement. I could feel the intense heat of the flames against my back, almost as if they were burning me. Groaning, I glanced over my shoulder at the place where The Devil's Shot Glass once stood. All that was left was a pile of debris consumed in flame. The thick black smoke rose high in the sky, to block out the stars and moon.

There was no way in hell Kadaj could have survived that.

My head began to throb from the impact of hitting the pavement, and I groaned as the world spun around me. Not having the strength to drag my ass up and run towards HQ, I slumped to the ground and passed out.


	8. The Midgar Hospital

**C H A P T E R - E I G H T**

"You think he'll be alright, Sir?"

"The doctor's said he'd make a full recovery in time. He just needs his rest is all."

"He looks like hell."

"No kidding. He's been through it."

The sound of familiar voices around me seemed distant, almost like I was hearing them underwater. Groaning, I shifted and slowly regained consciousness. When I opened my eyes, I was instantly blinded by bright fluorescent lights above me. Hissing, I shielded my face with my hands, mentally cursing myself for doing that for the second time in a row.

I felt strong hands touch my shoulder and, after a few moments of waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light, I looked up into the piercing blue gaze of Rufus ShinRa.

"S-Sir? How… I mean, what…"

"Shh…" The President smiled and stroked my hair. "Take it easy, Reno. You've been through hell. Try to relax."

I blinked and looked around at the familiar faces surrounding the bed. Next to Rufus stood Tseng, who was still as stone-faced as ever. Elena was standing by the door, looking like she may pass out from worry at any moment, and on the opposite side of the bed was my old partner Rude. Fuck, it was good to see him again.

It seemed I was in a hospital room. Not those dark creepy ones that were in the ShinRa Labs where Hojo lurked, but a small and bright one with a window and even a vase of flowers on the bedside table. I must've been in the Midgar Hospital. I was surrounded with all sorts of beeping machines with long wires that ran beneath the blanket that covered my body. There was an I.V. and a heart-rate monitor and all them little gadgets you see in the medical shows. I must've been hooked up to every single one of them. Damn, was I really in that bad of a state?

When I looked down at myself, I saw that all of the cuts Kadaj had given me were stitched up and bandaged. They stung like fuck, but at least they were better than they had been before.

I couldn't remember much of how I got here. There was an explosion. A loud noise, a blinding light, a burning heat, and then nothing. I must've passed out shortly after running out of the bar.

The Devil's Shot Glass was destroyed, along with everything and everyone inside it.

I frowned. Hell, even considering all the crap Kadaj had put me through, I don't think he deserved to go out that way. Especially not after the things he told me before I ran outta there. He was just a poor kid who wanted a family.

God, what a fuckin' loss.

"You feeling alright, partner?" Rude asked softly.

I nodded, rubbing my head. "Yeah. Just kinda sore and all that."

"Not surprising." Rufus stroked a hand over the bandage on my chest. "You've been through a lot. You'll be on full paid vacation for the next month until you get back on your feet."

God bless that fucking man.

"Thanks, Sir." I smiled. "And I'm sorry about the mess I got myself into. Should'a never walked into that fucking bar in the first place."

The blonde chuckled. "No apology necessary. There was no way you could've known."

"And besides," Elena said from her spot by the door. "that place was destroyed, along with those two guys that took you. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Yeah, I guess you're…" I trailed off.

Wait…

Two?

"There were three of 'em." I stated. "Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. There were three assassin's that took me. Two of them got gunned down, and the last one, the leader, is the one who blew the place up."

Everyone exchanged a look.

I stared at them all, not liking the silence. "…Guys?"

Tseng finally spoke up. "Only two bodies were recovered at the scene."

My heart did something that made of the machines beep like crazy. "What? Whata'ya mean?"

"Easy, Reno. Easy." Rufus held my hand. "Calm down. What Tseng means is only two bodies survived the blast. The third could have easily been destroyed, depending where the bombs were set up."

"But, you don't know that." I swallowed.

"Reno, trust me." The President offered me his warmest smile. "You have nothing to worry about. It's over."

I wanted to protest, but there was something about Rufus' eyes and calm voice that made my worry dissipate a little. The beeping on the machine even slowed down back to normal. Maybe he was right. After all, how the hell could Kadaj have survived that? I mean, the place must've blown up not sixty seconds after I ran out of the bedroom!

Then again, it was Kadaj.

"I believe ya, Sir." I nodded. "Guess I'm still kinda paranoid about what happened."

Rufus squeezed my hand. "You rest. Tseng, Elena, Rude, and I will remain here with you. You're perfectly safe."

Rest sounded damn good right now. Shifting my position a little, I snuggled into the warm pillow and closed my eyes, drifting into a deep sleep haunted by images of that beautiful yet twisted silver-haired boy.

* * *

I slept for what seemed like forever.

When I finally managed to get my eyes open, the hospital room was dark, save for the hallway light streaming in from the open door. Rubbing my eyes, I looked around and saw that everyone was fast asleep at my bedside. Tseng was passed out on a nearby couch, Elena leaning comfortably against his shoulder. Rude was asleep sitting up in a chair by the bed, and Rufus was half-sprawled on my bed, his head resting next to my arm.

I smiled softly and yawned, taking in the comfortable silence of the room. The darkness was soothing, and the mattress I was laying on was fucking heaven on Gaia. It cushioned the bones and muscles on my back that ached from sitting on that damned hardwood floor against the rattling radiator.

I don't think I'll ever forget my time in the little apartment, being beaten and tormented by those three merciless boys. Kadaj's face, his voice, would forever be burned into my mind. That kid would haunt me for a long time.

There was a tray with food set on the bedside table and, upon seeing it, my stomach lurched with hunger. It had been, what, days since I'd last eaten? Fuck, I don't care how bad hospital food it. At that moment, I'd eat anything.

Sitting up slowly, I reached for the tray and carefully balanced it on my lap. Once I removed the plastic covering, I found an egg salad sandwich, a box of juice, a container of strawberries, and a chocolate pudding.

Fuck, I needed a beer.

Knowing there really wasn't much I could do, I started eating. The sandwich was gone in less that five bites, and the pudding followed right after. As I popped pieces of strawberry into my mouth one at a time, I fished under the covers for the remote to the TV. If I was gonna be stuck in here for a while, I at least needed something to make the time pass.

Finding the remote, I flicked on the TV and sat back to watch. There was a good action flick on. One of my faves. It had just started, and I watched the thing until my eyes began to feel heavy. Couldn't have been more than ten minutes in. Fuck, I was even more exhausted than I had thought. I couldn't even stay awake to watch a movie!

Groaning, I switched off the TV and settled back against the soft pillows, yawning. I was about to drift back into peaceful sleep, when movement in the doorway suddenly caught my eye. There was something blocking the light from streaming into the room.

Someone was standing there.

My vision was pretty fucked up at the time, so all I really saw was a dark mass looming in the doorway. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands and sat up again, thinking one of the doctor's or nurses was coming in to check up on me. Once the sleep was gone from my eyes and my vision finally cleared up, I blinked and looked towards the figure in the door again.

My heart jumped into my throat.

There was no mistaking that face; those bright haunting cat-slit eyes slightly hidden by a fringe of soft silver hair. That wicked menacing sneer painted across fair angelic features would forever haunt my memories.

Ghost?

No. If he was a ghost, the light of the hallway would have gone right through him. He was a completely solid mass. A dark looming shadow.

He was alive.

"H-How…" I tried to speak. I tried to form words, but nothing would come out. I couldn't even let out a scream, just to alert the group of ShinRa employees sleeping right next to me. My body was frozen stiff in place.

Kadaj didn't say a word. He just stood there, watching me, and it freaked me the fuck out. What the hell did he want? How in the name of Gaia did that kid even survive the blast?

Just then, the boy gave me a smirk and a wink before turning and walking away. Honestly just fucking walking away. I frowned and watched him stroll down the hall, wondering what the fuck all that was about. As he slipped nearly unnoticed passed doctors and nurses and patients, he reached into one of the pockets in his trench coat and pulled out the small metallic box I was all-too familiar with.

The detonator.

My eyes narrowed, a sudden memory of something Kadaj had told me slithering into my mind:

"…_There are explosives set up in various abandoned cars on the streets, inside the Midgar Orphanage, and inside the Midgar Hospital."_

The Midgar Hospital.

I felt my stomach lurch with fear, the realization of what was about to happen hitting me like a ton of bricks.

Just before the boy disappeared through another set of doors, I saw his thumb hover over one of the buttons on the detonator before finally pressing down.

Oh, fuck.

**T H E - E N D**


End file.
